Fire Department releases winter heating tips

Brownsville Fire Department Chief Jarrett Sheldon released a set of winter heating tips as the city experiences one of the coldest weathers in years with, rotating outages happening throughout the State of Texas continuing into Tuesday.

The Fire Department tips are the following:

>> Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like your furnace, fireplace or portable space heater. Twenty-nine percent of fires that spread past the object of origin happened because the heat source was too close to things that can burn.

>> Never use an oven or stovetop to heat your home. Kitchen ovens were never designed for heating homes, only for cooking food.

>> Space heaters should only be plugged directly into a wall. Do not use an extension cord or power strip as they can overheat and cause a fire.

>> Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors once per month. During a winter storm, smoke alarms dependent on your home’s electrical service may not work during a power outage. If your smoke alarm uses a back-up battery, install a new battery at least once a year.

>> Never use charcoal barbecues or propane gas heaters as indoor heating sources. Even though there is no visible flame, charcoal and propane emit deadly carbon monoxide gas and are not suitable for indoor use.

>> Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: dull headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, shortness of breath and loss of consciousness. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be especially dangerous for people who are sleeping.

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